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Not everyone wants (or needs) to spend a ton of money on a new laptop. Depending on how you use your notebook – if you’re a student, creative professional or just browsing the web – it may not be necessary for you to drop thousands on the latest model with top-notch specifications Could Budget laptops do exist, even though they don’t get as much attention as their flagship counterparts. If you’re looking to spend just what you should on your next laptop, we’ve got several top options for you to consider, as well as some buying advice to help you choose the best budget laptop for you. Can
What to Look for in a Budget Laptop?
First of all, we here at Engadget consider anything under $1,000 to be “budget” in the laptop space. There are two reasons for this: even the most affordable flagship laptops usually start at $1,000 or more, and if you go dramatically lower than that (say, $500 or less), you’re really You’ll start to see a compromise in performance. You’ll generally find the best balance of power and price in the $500 to $1,000 range. But in this guide, we’ll cover the top picks at a wide range of prices – there are many options on the low and high end of the budget spectrum.
Probably the biggest thing to look for in a budget laptop is a good spec sheet. You may be able to find an option with the latest generation CPU chipset, or you may have to pick up a slightly older processor. We recommend trying to find a notebook with the most up-to-date internals as possible, but know that if you choose a machine with a CPU a generation behind, it probably won’t impact performance significantly.
Along with the processor, you should also consider the amount of memory and storage required in a daily driver. For the former, we recommend a laptop with at least 8GB of RAM; Anything less than that will have a hard time multitasking and managing all those browser tabs. The latter is a bit more personal: How much onboard storage you need really depends on how many apps, files, photos, documents, and more you’ll be saving locally. As a general rule, try to get a laptop that has at least a 256GB SSD (this only applies to macOS and Windows machines, as Chromebooks differ slightly). This should give you enough room for programs and files, as well as room for future operating system updates.
After you’ve determined the best performance you can get while sticking to your budget, it’s also worth examining a few different design aspects. We recommend choosing a machine with a mostly metal body, a screen with at least 1080p resolution, and a keyboard and trackpad area that’s relatively spacious. Any laptop worth buying will have a built-in webcam, but most of them top out at 720p. Some of the latest models have 1080p webcams, but you may want to consider a standalone peripheral if you spend a lot of time on Zoom meetings.
Be sure to check the status of the port as well. Many laptops closer to $1,000 will have fewer ports (as hard as it may seem) than their more affordable counterparts. You’ll find at least one or two USB-C ports on the latest machines, which means you may need a separate dongle if you need to connect to an SD card often.
A Note About Refurbished Laptops
Refurbished laptops are another option if you need a new machine and don’t want to spend a lot of money. Buying refurbished technology can be difficult if you’re unfamiliar with a brand or merchant’s policies on what they classify as “refurbished.” But it’s not impossible — for laptops, we recommend going directly to the manufacturer for refurbished equipment. Apple, Dell, and Microsoft all have official refurbishment processes that their devices go through before being put back on the market that verifies that the machines are working properly and in good condition. Third-party retailers like Amazon and Walmart also have their own renewal programs for laptops and other gadgets.
best budget laptop
Best Overall: MacBook Air M1
There’s a reason why Apple kept the MacBook Air M1 in its lineup even after it came out with 13-inch and 15-inch Air M2 laptops. The first machine with Apple’s custom system-on-a-chip, the Air M1, was released in late 2020 and proved the company no longer needed Intel to power its notebooks. The M1 processor gave the Air very fast performance, with a response similar to that of the iPad Pro. There has been no change even after the launch of the latest Air powered by the M2 chipset and it. You’re still going to get impressive performance from the MacBook Air M1 that will be perfect for most people as a daily driver.
The Air M1 has the classic wedge design we’ve seen in this family of notebooks over the years, which some will appreciate. It might not have the same refined profile as the M2 machine, but it’s still thin and light, and since it lacks a fan, it’ll be much quieter too. The 13.3-inch Retina display is beautiful, and it’s accompanied by a comfortable keyboard (no touchbar) and a spacious trackpad. Battery life stood at around 16.5 hours in our testing, which should be more than enough for a full day’s work. It may be at the top of our budget price range, starting at $999, but it’s money well spent. Also, we’ve often seen the price drop to $800 or $900 when the MacBook Air M1 goes on sale on Amazon and other retailers.
Read our full review of the Apple MacBook Air M1
Best budget Windows laptop: HP Pavilion Aero 13
If you like the general aesthetics of machines like Dell’s XPS 13, but you don’t want to shell out $1,000 or more, the HP Pavilion Aero is your best option. We gave it a score of 87 in our review and compared it to Dell’s flagship laptop. It certainly isn’t quite as sleek as that machine, but it comes pretty close, with its angular profile, 2.2-pound weight, and its own anti-glare 13.3-inch display. Despite its keyboard being a bit cramped, it’s a solid typing machine and we appreciate all of its connectivity options: one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI connector and a headphone jack. You can currently buy an Aero 13 for as little as $800, but they are on sale for even less. All prebuilt models available from HP come with Ryzen 5 processors straight out, and you can customize the laptop with up to a Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
Read our full review of the HP Pavilion Aero 13
Best Chromebook: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i
It’s been a few years since we named Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 5i as our favorite Chromebook, and it remains our top choice today. This is because it still has the best mix of specifications and features that will suit most Chrome OS lovers. It is powered by the 11th generation Core i3 processor, has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Plus its bright 13.3-inch 1080p display is great for working in Google Docs and streaming Netflix.
While nothing special in the design department, this convertible is relatively light and we appreciate that it comes with a backlit keyboard – something you don’t often see in laptops at this price. It should last about eight hours on a single charge, or long enough to last you through a typical work day. You’re also getting a solid port collection here: two USB-C, one USB-A, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack. All of this puts the Flex 5i ahead of the Chromebook pack, and its affordable price makes it even better.
Read our full review of the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i
Best for under $500: Acer Aspire 5
Acer’s Aspire 5 family is a solid Windows alternative if you have less than $500 to spend on a new laptop. The most recent model is a good middle ground for most people, running on Intel 11th-generation CPUs and supporting up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Of course, the more features you get, the more expensive the machine – not all Aspire 5 laptops come in under $500. But you can currently pick up the model with the 15.6-inch 1080p display, Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage for around $380 (or less if it’s on sale). The design here is fairly basic, but you get a convenient number pad and a variety of ports, including a USB-C connector, three USB-A ports, and an Ethernet port. We also appreciate that the latest Aspire 5s supports WiFi 6 and that Acer has bumped up the estimated battery life to 10 hours.
Not everyone wants (or needs) to spend a ton of money on a new laptop. Depending on how you use your notebook – if you’re a student, creative professional or just browsing the web – it may not be necessary for you to drop thousands on the latest model with top-notch specifications Could Budget laptops do exist, even though they don’t get as much attention as their flagship counterparts. If you’re looking to spend just what you should on your next laptop, we’ve got several top options for you to consider, as well as some buying advice to help you choose the best budget laptop for you. Can
What to Look for in a Budget Laptop?
First of all, we here at Engadget consider anything under $1,000 to be “budget” in the laptop space. There are two reasons for this: even the most affordable flagship laptops usually start at $1,000 or more, and if you go dramatically lower than that (say, $500 or less), you’re really You’ll start to see a compromise in performance. You’ll generally find the best balance of power and price in the $500 to $1,000 range. But in this guide, we’ll cover the top picks at a wide range of prices – there are many options on the low and high end of the budget spectrum.
Probably the biggest thing to look for in a budget laptop is a good spec sheet. You may be able to find an option with the latest generation CPU chipset, or you may have to pick up a slightly older processor. We recommend trying to find a notebook with the most up-to-date internals as possible, but know that if you choose a machine with a CPU a generation behind, it probably won’t impact performance significantly.
Along with the processor, you should also consider the amount of memory and storage required in a daily driver. For the former, we recommend a laptop with at least 8GB of RAM; Anything less than that will have a hard time multitasking and managing all those browser tabs. The latter is a bit more personal: How much onboard storage you need really depends on how many apps, files, photos, documents, and more you’ll be saving locally. As a general rule, try to get a laptop that has at least a 256GB SSD (this only applies to macOS and Windows machines, as Chromebooks differ slightly). This should give you enough room for programs and files, as well as room for future operating system updates.
After you’ve determined the best performance you can get while sticking to your budget, it’s also worth examining a few different design aspects. We recommend choosing a machine with a mostly metal body, a screen with at least 1080p resolution, and a keyboard and trackpad area that’s relatively spacious. Any laptop worth buying will have a built-in webcam, but most of them top out at 720p. Some of the latest models have 1080p webcams, but you may want to consider a standalone peripheral if you spend a lot of time on Zoom meetings.
Be sure to check the status of the port as well. Many laptops closer to $1,000 will have fewer ports (as hard as it may seem) than their more affordable counterparts. You’ll find at least one or two USB-C ports on the latest machines, which means you may need a separate dongle if you need to connect to an SD card often.
A Note About Refurbished Laptops
Refurbished laptops are another option if you need a new machine and don’t want to spend a lot of money. Buying refurbished technology can be difficult if you’re unfamiliar with a brand or merchant’s policies on what they classify as “refurbished.” But it’s not impossible — for laptops, we recommend going directly to the manufacturer for refurbished equipment. Apple, Dell, and Microsoft all have official refurbishment processes that their devices go through before being put back on the market that verifies that the machines are working properly and in good condition. Third-party retailers like Amazon and Walmart also have their own renewal programs for laptops and other gadgets.
best budget laptop
Best Overall: MacBook Air M1
There’s a reason why Apple kept the MacBook Air M1 in its lineup even after it came out with 13-inch and 15-inch Air M2 laptops. The first machine with Apple’s custom system-on-a-chip, the Air M1, was released in late 2020 and proved the company no longer needed Intel to power its notebooks. The M1 processor gave the Air very fast performance, with a response similar to that of the iPad Pro. There has been no change even after the launch of the latest Air powered by the M2 chipset and it. You’re still going to get impressive performance from the MacBook Air M1 that will be perfect for most people as a daily driver.
The Air M1 has the classic wedge design we’ve seen in this family of notebooks over the years, which some will appreciate. It might not have the same refined profile as the M2 machine, but it’s still thin and light, and since it lacks a fan, it’ll be much quieter too. The 13.3-inch Retina display is beautiful, and it’s accompanied by a comfortable keyboard (no touchbar) and a spacious trackpad. Battery life stood at around 16.5 hours in our testing, which should be more than enough for a full day’s work. It may be at the top of our budget price range, starting at $999, but it’s money well spent. Also, we’ve often seen the price drop to $800 or $900 when the MacBook Air M1 goes on sale on Amazon and other retailers.
Read our full review of the Apple MacBook Air M1
Best budget Windows laptop: HP Pavilion Aero 13
If you like the general aesthetics of machines like Dell’s XPS 13, but you don’t want to shell out $1,000 or more, the HP Pavilion Aero is your best option. We gave it a score of 87 in our review and compared it to Dell’s flagship laptop. It certainly isn’t quite as sleek as that machine, but it comes pretty close, with its angular profile, 2.2-pound weight, and its own anti-glare 13.3-inch display. Despite its keyboard being a bit cramped, it’s a solid typing machine and we appreciate all of its connectivity options: one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI connector and a headphone jack. You can currently buy an Aero 13 for as little as $800, but they are on sale for even less. All prebuilt models available from HP come with Ryzen 5 processors straight out, and you can customize the laptop with up to a Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
Read our full review of the HP Pavilion Aero 13
Best Chromebook: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i
It’s been a few years since we named Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 5i as our favorite Chromebook, and it remains our top choice today. This is because it still has the best mix of specifications and features that will suit most Chrome OS lovers. It is powered by the 11th generation Core i3 processor, has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Plus its bright 13.3-inch 1080p display is great for working in Google Docs and streaming Netflix.
While nothing special in the design department, this convertible is relatively light and we appreciate that it comes with a backlit keyboard – something you don’t often see in laptops at this price. It should last about eight hours on a single charge, or long enough to last you through a typical work day. You’re also getting a solid port collection here: two USB-C, one USB-A, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack. All of this puts the Flex 5i ahead of the Chromebook pack, and its affordable price makes it even better.
Read our full review of the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i
Best for under $500: Acer Aspire 5
Acer’s Aspire 5 family is a solid Windows alternative if you have less than $500 to spend on a new laptop. The most recent model is a good middle ground for most people, running on Intel 11th-generation CPUs and supporting up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Of course, the more features you get, the more expensive the machine – not all Aspire 5 laptops come in under $500. But you can currently pick up the model with the 15.6-inch 1080p display, Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage for around $380 (or less if it’s on sale). The design here is fairly basic, but you get a convenient number pad and a variety of ports, including a USB-C connector, three USB-A ports, and an Ethernet port. We also appreciate that the latest Aspire 5s supports WiFi 6 and that Acer has bumped up the estimated battery life to 10 hours.
